Dressage horses don’t jump.

HaloHoney

Well-Known Member
Apr 30, 2017
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Flatting Flash today- he was brilliant. We had proper head carriage! We’ve entered the show jumping tomorrow- and a lesson was coming to an end in the outdoor school, they’d left their course of jumps up, and I thought “better put him over something before tomorrow, it’s been ages.”

So I put my stirrups up a couple of holes, and off we went.

Beautiful trot, really lovely canter... but he only saw the fence (2’ or thereabouts- nothing massive) about a metre from it, and by that point was in so deep I nearly unbalanced straight over the handlebars in fits of giggles.

Next fence- skinny cross pole, same height- fence arrived out of nowhere again- far too deep but I was expecting it this time.

The penny dropped, “ok Mum, show jumping mode it is then.” Fine after that. I’ve been laughing about it all evening so far.

Just the utter confusion of “I am a beautiful round dressage horse. WHO PUT THAT FENCE THERE?! I am back to being a dressage horse.” Bless him.
 
I know someone that with a trainer looking for a horse to jump bought an imported
Lovely dressage horse.
Trainer said no problem we can teach him
To jump.
This poor horse was terrified of a pole on the GROUND.
I don't know if he had some bad accident in his life involving poles.
It was a bit scary to see if the horse even touched a pole on the GROUND it would totally freak out and bolt.
Then they got someone else an I'm gonna get this horse "OVER THOSE POLES"
KIND of person
If that person had been working with my horse id have thrown them off the property.
It was awful calling themself a professional no way.
They had the horse so freaked out it tried to jump out of the round pen.
Several of us were there I had to leave
I really could not believe what I was seeing.
I came home and told my husband and he said I know you would have stopped it and shown her the door 5 min into nonsense like THAT. And he would have thrown her
Off the property too.

It's the only dressage horse I had come in contact with that someone had tried to make a jumper out of.

But maybe you are correct dressage
Horses don't jump.

I blame the first trainer to out of all the horses out there and is the one looking for a horse to not find a horse that
Will willingly jump but maybe needs
Some refinement.

To me it's as bad as going car shopping for a convertible and the car dealer says well we can just cut the roof off.

Sadly horses suffer though trying to be pushed Into somerhing unsuitable for
Them.
 
To me it's as bad as going car shopping for a convertible and the car dealer says well we can just cut the roof off.
Oh that’s heartbreaking. :(

I know that my boy is more than capable of jumping- he has BSJA winnings. He isn’t the fondest of flatwork but we’ve really found our groove with that this week.

Here he is with his previous owner winning the 3ft class at Windsor one year. :)

EEE3F731-EC7C-4B1A-9A8F-99A5B617BC30.jpeg
 
Ohhhhh what a lovely photo you both look great.
And to have the castle in the background
I'm jealous.

It was heartbreaking to think someone would let that go on with their horse.
But that second trainer was a several
"Starred" from a world known I won't
Mention.
There is a point to when you have to step in and say your method us not working.
I heard afterwards it never got better and she stopped dead in her tracks done to the
MINUTE of the 2 hour session being done.

I'm not sucked I to any one method or famous trainer I pick and choose what works
For me and my horse.

And I'm for sure not sucked into you need to just use my stuff.
I don't think anyone has magic fairy dust.

She kept having that trainer come
Ultimately it all went bad the horse got worse the daughter got terrified and the horse got sort of traded or something.
But apparently ended up down south someplace with a kid riding bareback on a big ranch and was in horsey paradise
Thankfully
 
Well he was in show jumper mode today, thank God.

It was like being sat on a homing missile!

6th Place in the 2’6”. 2 clear rounds, 2 clear jump offs, and a grin you can probably see from space! Have qualified for UK Rider Challenge regional finals.

Better get some lessons to see if we can look slightly more elegant. :D
 
Just watched the GoPro footage. It proves just exactly how much of an utter legend he is. I put him onto a total loser in our second class out of fence 7 into 8a, forcing him into jumping 8b from a near standstill. He did it, and didn’t even breathe on a pole.
 

Here you go. Minor blasphemy and pre-watershed swearing involved. Watch for the massive rookie error he corrects in class 6 over fence 8a & 8b.

He’s a legend. Not bad for a dressage horse, eh? ;):p
 
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